Recognizing Hidden Racism’s Grip on Our Society

by | Jun 4, 2018 | Opinion

I have a slight preference for white persons over black persons. That’s not a confession; it’s a diagnosis. According to the online Implicit Association Test, which measures the unconscious biases associated with persons of various races and ethnicities, I...

Your Church Not Growing? Blame the Birth Rate

by | Jul 24, 2009 | Opinion

Summer is in full swing and that means the church has empty pews – and lots of them.   Some six million mainline Protestants have gone on summer vacation since 1965 and haven’t come back. That’s right, six million members are missing. And we’re not...

Find the Right Fold

by | Dec 23, 2008 | Opinion

I let someone go from the church the other day. Not an employee. A parishioner. And a friend. We met in a coffee shop and she began asking about ways that she can get more involved in church. But that wasn’t what she really needed. What she really needed was...

What We Can Learn From Wal-Mart Death

by | Dec 5, 2008 | Opinion

We’re a lot like the folks at the back of that Wal-Mart line. We have no idea who’s up there ahead of us. We can’t see who’s being crushed by the weight of our wants. All we know is that there’s a sale and the doors are now open. That...